Oculist&#39;s instrument.



l 1. F. HERBERT, 1R.

OCULIST'S INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED Dsc. 19, 191e.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Nid TAFE@ r ric.

OCULISTS INSTRUMENT.

Speccaton of Letters Patent,

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed December 19, 1916. Serial No. 137,887.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FREDERICK Hnnnnr, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at 810-12 Flanders Bldg., 15th & Vvalnut streets, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oculists Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to optics and more particularly to instruments relating to the projection and reflection of light rays in a particular manner, and in a particular direction for the purpose of directly illuminating another surface or object, and to this end an objectof the. invention is to provide an instrument for projecting light rays in a particular direction upon an object to be illuminated.

More specifically the invention relates to devices such as ophthalmoscopes, retinoscopes, skiascopes or the like, and therefore, in the Ause of instruments of this kind the invention comprehends an ophthalmoscope which carries its own light or source of illumination, and reflects same into the eye without, however, disturbing to any extent the vision of the patient, or causing unnecessary blinking of the eye while under examination, the object being to illuminate the retina of the eye to permitof a minute eX- amination of parts that may or may not be irritated, diseased, or in some abnormal condition.

I am aware that ophthalmoscopes and retinoscopes have been used heretofore, but in a large number of these instruments the Source. of illumination is anexterior one, and when artificial is objectionable in many ways, particularly in the character of reflection when the distance that the instrument is held from the eye is taken into consideration. l aim to provide a device having its own source of illumination, and arranged and constructed in a simple and practical manner, whereby an eiiicient examination of the eye can be made, and the device held at the required distance to permit of effectively surveying the parts under examina-V tion. To this end l desire that instead of having a source of' light thrown upon a mirror and in turn reflected upon the object to be examined, the operator gaze through a loop of light which is so disposed that the light will radiate from a reflecting surface in juxtaposition tothe loop of light,

and not interfere with the ator, or unduly to be viewed.

In the further disclosure of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- F lgure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a form of my invention. f

Fig. 2 is a vert-ical section taken on line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a somewhat modied form of the device.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of still another modified form.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4i.

Fig. 6 shows several sectional views taken through different forms of incandescent globes used in connection with my device.

Referring to the views and more particularly to Figs. l and 2, l provide. a handle 10 of the nature of a casing, in which is disposed one of the usual dry cells 11, of any standard make or form, and well known on the commercial market. Pivoted on the upper end of the handle 10 is a disk-like casing 12 which it will be seen can be swung from vision of the operaffect the patient or object a horizontal to a vertical position, and vice v versa, andk it is preferably formed at its center with an indented portion 13, having an aperture 14: therein. An incandescent bulb 15 is screwed into the upper end ofthe handle 10, and a suitable contact button 16, of any desired form, is mounted upon the casing to close a circuit from the battery l1 to the bulb l5, so as to illuminate the bulb upon the closing of the circuit.

The bulb 15 is preferably circular in shape and somewhat fiat at the sides, and has an incandescent wire or loop 17 circular in shape, as shown, with the central portion of the bulb indented as at 18, and if desirable, formed with an 'aperture 19. A face 9.0 of thek bulb may be frosted to provide a lightdiii'using surface in order thatY the light from the incandescent loop 17 will be diffused or disseminated, itbeing understood that the operator gazes through the aperture 1li, and also the aperture 19, they being in registration, so as to gaze into the eye of the patient, the parts of the eye being illuminated by the diiiused light from the incandescent loop 17, which is didused by the frosted surface 20. rl`hus it will be seen. that the operator gases through theA center of an incandescent loop Without haring the light from the same interfering with his vision. lt desirable the inner tace of the casing 1Q, may be frosted or provided with a mirror in order to diliuse and properly dethe diil'used light to the object under examination, and thus it will be apparent Ythat various terms and shapes ot incandescent bulbs maybe employed to ellect the desired result. As shown in Fig. (3 the bulb design-ated a. is of a plano-parallel nature, Whereas, the one designated t is plano-coa cave, the one designated. c being convezioconcave, and it will, be clear that the bulbs may or may not be provided with a central aperture as indicated in Fig. bythe numeral 19.

In Fig. 3 l shoiv a simple modifiedform of my invention and in ivhich instance l have provided a holder 2l upon the handle 10, the holder 2l being ot a semi-circular shape to receive and support a lensA 2Q that may' be colored or tinted to a certain shade in order to adjust the reflected rays of light to the Weak eyes of the patient thatl the eye Will not be subjected to too intense an illumination, which might cause irritation and annoyance While the eye of the patient i's under examination.

In Figs.l a and it Will be seen that the casing l2 instead of being pivot-ed upon the y handle l-G' is attached thereto byv a. suitable clamp Q3, and that in this instance there is interposed betiveen the casing and' the incandescent bulb lo, a dislior other suitable lightlitlusing surface element 24e, provided withl a central aperture registering With the aperture il ot the casing 19 and ivith the aperture 19 in the incandescent bulb, in Ythe citent that the latter is used with an aperture, Valthough as mentioned heretofore the incandescent bulbs shown` may be otl any desired shape, Ystyle and form, ivith or Without an aperture as desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that While the instrument described and various forms thereof, is primarily designedI torl use in the examination of au eye, on the principle of the ophthalmoscope, a device of this character, has a broader application in that it may be employed inv any instrument of observation to illuminate an object wherein in order to observe returning rays oft light, the eye ot the observer must be placed as close as possible inthe direct line oit vision between the sou-ree ot illumination and the object to bevieived, and at the same time be protected from the source olight Without obstructingv the lield illuminated for observation. Tof this end. the. device may be used by dentists, and surgeons, tor. the purpose of examining the interior ot hollow objects, cavities, depressions, passages andthe like.

is mentioned heretofore in the use of retinoscopes Mld ophthalmoscopes the source ot light has been re'iected from a mirror, and inl somel instances the refraction ot' the source of light through a prism has been employed, to illuminate the object. `Further useA has been made of what is known as direct illumination, or by a shaded electric light, for the purpose of accomplishing the desired result, namely, the proper illumina-` tion ot the object Without annoyance to the operator by the source oli light used for the illumination. lilith my device l attain all of the objects necessaryy to provide an elliect-ive instrument, simple and convenient, pro.n viding a direct illumination; unobstructed range off vision; close proximity or contact with the object to be viewed; protection to the eye ot' the observer, and a largerA field ot illumination and a more intense light, although the same is evenly dillusedi and distributed by means of theA dirdusingy surface employed as has beenstated, or modilied by interposing colored slides.

'lfhe device described may be used tor various otherV purposes, and is not designed entirely tor use in optics when related solely to the examination of the eye, but it may` be used :tor mechanical purposes as in automobilel headlights and the like, and it Will be clearly understood that l do not limit myself to the particular description herein, and the disclosurel in the drawings, and that the scope of the invention is donnedV by theA appended claims. Y

Having described myV invention. claiml. .el device ot the characterdescribed, com arisino-A a handle,v a. battery in the hanc le, an incandescent bulbV supported in the handle and; having.- contact with said battery tor illuminating the bulb, said bulb havinga cent 1ally disposed# transparent p0rtion, and a casing provided with an` aperture and disposed adjacent tothebulb with the aperature. of the casing. in registration with the. transparent portion. of the bulb.

2. l device. ol" the. character described, comprising a handle, an incandescent bulb on the handle, andv having a central transparent portion and afcasing disposed adn jacent to the. bulb, and provided With an apertureY in registration, with the transparent portionl of the bulb, and an. interposed opaque` light-diffusing surtace, having` a transparent portion in` registration with the. aperture olthe casing and: the transparent portion` of' the bulb.

8. A deviceA of' theV character described, comprising a. bulb having a circular incandescentloop therein, with the central portion ot said: bulbk transparent, and a juxtaposed casing Jormed; with` a central aperture in registration with the transparent portion ol'- said bulb. Y

a. device tor illuminating an object Within a range of vision Without interfering with the view, comprising an incandescent loop, and a viewing screen interposed between the loop and the range of vision to preclude the interference of the direct light from the illuminant With the VlSlOIl.

5. A device for illuminating an object Within a range of vision, comprising an incandescent loop and an apertured opaque screen element disposed to have the aperture thereof in line With the theoretical center of the loop to prevent the direct rays of light from the loop from interfering With the range of vision through the said aperture.

6. A device for illuminating an object Within a range of vision, comprising an incandescent loop and an apertured opaque screen element disposed to have the aperture thereof in line With the theoretical center of the loop to prevent the direct rays of light from the loop from interfering With the range of vision through the said aperture, and a light-diffusing surface interposed between the screen element and the incandescent loop to diffuse the direct rays of light to refract the same onto the object to be viewed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

J. FREDK. HERBERT, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 1D. C. 

